Synchronicity
by Ten-Faced
Summary: The history of Nome is one of shame. Countless girls have been sacrificed to Apophis for 'the greater good'. With help from the unexpected, Carter will save the country and his sister from the snake's wrath, and become a hero.
1. In the land of Nome

Own nothing, will probably be OOC. AU.

* * *

A large country, filled with peace and harmony… From a traveller's point of view, the country of Nome appeared to prosper.

However, once one became used to the scenery, one could see that there was fear, and nervousness in the eyes of all, from the oldest of the elders sitting outside to the youngest babies. No one was excluded; all shared the same nervous look, as if someone – or something – was hunting them.

If the traveller would dare to ask, most would look away, oddly facing the west of the country. The few bravest would hesitantly speak, of the mighty beast that had, centuries ago, killed their first king, Ra, and in his hunger nearly consumed the entire country, when an agreement was made. Then even the bravest would not open their mouths, refusing to speak, in shame and in terror.

Only after many months of being in the same general area could the stranger, now no longer such a one, learn that to appease the snake, a maiden, given the title of 'Diva', would be chosen by the Oracle and sent to the twisted cavern where the chaos snake – for that was what everyone called it – dwelled, and sing and dance for the beast until she tired and was killed.

The curious, temporarily settled journeyer was shocked; such monstrosities were left unchecked? But he, too, learned of the terrible impact left by the chaos snake upon the minds of the people of Nome, and he held his tongue, but silently vowed to do all he could to stop this.

He just needed to find out how such a seemingly impossible feat could be accomplished. So many heroes had tried, and the dragon had just swallowed them and the Dragon Diva of the time, forcing other girls to be pulled out.

No family deserved to lose a daughter, and no girl deserved to be pulled away from their loved ones.

Straightening, Anubis picked up his black bag, dusted his dark traveller's robes, and started to walk towards the capital, beginning his quest. It wasn't his country, but it was wrong to simply walk away from such immorality, especially when one had power.

* * *

In the cavern, the pale pillars of crystals shone eerie teal light on everything, making sure that all was visible, but had shadows flicker and exaggerate the darkness, showing a picture of a cave with a magical, fearful luminosity.

In the middle of the deep, seemingly endless pit at the side of the main cave, there was a naturally made platform of white marble, with huge bock steps carved out leading to it. A girl kneeled on the cold stone surface, face hidden by her black hair as she bowed her head, a long staff in her right hand sparking occasionally as she concentrated. Little could be seen about her except her dark skin, jet black hair cut at the line of her jaw, and billowing robes of white linen lined with gold. She couldn't have been more than fifteen, but there was an aura of power around her, hinting at what she was capable of, and what she stood for.

As she held her meditative state, images flashed through her mind. Darkness, shadows, a flaming tail, thrashing through the Great Army of the Sun, a mighty king and the nation at their knees….

The memories of the past leapt forward, sparing the Pythoness of the pain. Now, the images showed the current Diva a few days ago. Her lover had vainly tried to rescue the dying girl, and both had perished, ripped apart and devoured by the mighty Apophis. Fools.

The train of visions, for indeed, the snake was only allowing her to view his memories to taunt and warn her, ended with the bloody hand of Silena Beauregard, reaching out to Charles Beckendorf in her death.

The Pythoness sneered silently, her lips curling. She raised her head, revealing a narrow white mask with dark gold spots where the eyes were, making it appear as if she was blind.

As she raised her head, the dragon roared its frustration. Apophis wanted a new Diva. And he wanted one _now._

Sighing, she stood. A new diva would have to be chosen, and that was not good. The best bloodlines….

Not the Aphrodite Blood, they weren't ready….

The Kanes, perhaps? She had heard a child had been taken to be raised as Diva, but that had been years ago.

Still, whoever was ready as Diva would step up immediately. All Zia had to do was alert them of Diva Silena's death, and she would get a new one.

High heels clicking loudly, she walked to the entrance of the Caverns of Apophis, where a messenger vulture waited.


	2. Chosen as Diva

This chapter shows eight years ago, when Sadie was taken to be trained as Diva. In the present time, she replaces the now-dead Silena. Some fanfics of Synchronicity show Rin, her role as being taken as a baby when Teto, Silena's role got killed, but I figured that dragons had anger issues, and wouldn't be too patient. So, she was taken early in case the Diva died.

I owe nothing.

* * *

_Eight Years Ago…._

"Mommy!" shrieked a blond girl, running up to her mother in outrage. "Carter took my necklace, and he won't give it back!" She appeared to be five years old, with pale skin and deep blue eyes. In fact, she was very similar in appearance to her mother, who stood smiling at her patiently.

"Not true!" protested her brother, who was older than her by a year or two. "She hid mine! It was only fair that I took hers!" Unlike his mother or sister, he actually had light brown skin with curly dark hair. It was hard to believe they were related at all.

"Children," their mother spoke softly, effectively silencing the kids. "Carter, give Sadie her pendant back, and you too, Sadie."

"Yes, mom." They both spoke at the same time, staring down at their feet in embarrassment.

"Kids," she smiled and sank down to see them at eye level. "You must never take your amulets off. It's dangerous, and your father and I need you to wear them at all times, understand?"

Sadie nodded, but Carter stared at his mother rebelliously. "But I'm a boy, and boys don't wear girly stuff." He complained.

"The Eye of Horus isn't girly, it's actually very…" Ruby Kane trailed off, searching for the right word. "…_manly." _She finished.

He smiled at the compliment. "Really?" asked Carter as he fastened his leather cord onto his neck with stubby fingers. Next to him, Sadie struggled to put her own amulet on.

"Really." Promised their mother. "Now, how about we-"

Whatever she had been going to say was cut off with a loud hammering at the door. "Coming!" she called, and walked over, a slight frown on her face. Carter and Sadie stood back, suddenly shy at the thought of strangers.

Ruby opened the door, curious. Who would knock so rudely? Upon opening the door, her eyes widened in horror. "Lord Desjardins!" she exclaimed in shock and fear. There was only one reason why the Head of the Nome Council would be here.

"Move, woman." He told her rudely, and Ruby was shoved to the side, held back by a man.

"No!" she screamed, struggling uselessly against her captor. "_Please_!"

"It is for the good of Nome." He answered dismissively, and carelessly walked in.

"Hey, you bad man!" shouted Sadie, showing the ignorant bravery of a child. "Let our mother go!"

"Y-Yeah!" stuttered Carter. "O-or else!"

Lord Desjardins smiled cruelly, and grabbed the girl by her wrist. "Very well, but I shall take your sister instead." he replied in a mocking tone.

"Let me go!" shrieked Sadie, smashing her tiny fists against him.

"Sadie!" pleaded her mother, still held back.

"Impertinent!" a sharp slap echoed in the room as Sadie was thrown to the ground by the sheer force of the hit. "You are to be the Dragon Diva, and that is final!" Sadie began to cry, and Carter followed.

"Take the girl, Mel." Spat the man, before turning to the mother, who was thrown to the other end of the room. "Traitors, that's what you are." He told her contemptuously. "You, your husband, all of your spawn. So selfish, so willing to let the entire region of Nome suffer." She only wept.

"You'll never see her again." He told her, before slamming the door.

Carter crawled over to his mother. "Mommy?" he asked, hesitant. What had happened?

Instead of answering the silent question, she held both his hands and looked into his eyes. "Carter," she started, voice taking an urgent tone. "You must always keep the amulet on you. And never forget Sadie. Understand? You mustn't forget her! Promise, Carter!"

He was slightly shocked by this. Why would he forget Sadie? She'd come back soon, and he'd have to live with an annoying sister. Never less, he nodded. "I won't."

Ruby exhaled, and started to cry again. Her young son hugged her, not knowing of what had happened.

* * *

_Present Times_

"You are the Diva?" a high, cold voice asked. Sadie tried not to roll her eyes. Well, who else would be here?

"Yes." She replied, and her hand flew to her battered amulet, the only thing she had from her past before she had been taken to be trained.

Clicking sounds could be heard as a girl with her eyes hidden by a white mask walked forward. Sadie drew in a sharp breath. The Pythoness. Like the Diva, a maiden with the skill to communicate with the Snake was needed. But unlike the position of the Dragon Diva, the Pythoness had access to the exit of the labyrinth-like caves of the chaos snake. In other words, she was able to find a way out, while Sadie couldn't.

How they managed to get the girls to stay in this horrible place, Sadie would never know.

"You understand what you are to do?" she asked, her voice sounding as regal and commanding as a princess. In fact, she almost looked like one.

"Yes."

The Pythoness nodded. "Then I will levitate you down to the cave." She started to lift her staff as it glowed, but then lowered it, making it dim. "And do not even attempt escape." She warned, a hard, steel-like tone entering her voice. "Or you will suffer the same fate as the previous one."

Sadie didn't need the warning. That was the one lesson that had been repeated over and over again for as long as she could remember being in training for Diva.

The Pythoness lifted her staff and started to chant, enveloping Sadie with a glow and making her feel weightless as she was levitated below, towards the rest of her short life.

* * *

Here was the most important moment. Sadie took a deep breath, trying not to wince at the horrible, rancid smell, and curtsied with immense poise and grace towards the area where two large eyes glowed at her.

A large hiss greeted her, but there was no howl of rage, no furious monster leaping out to eat her.

Straightening, she began to sing and dance, her silver companion of all the lonely years shining at her neck.


	3. The First Connection

No one reviews this fic... makes me depressed, but ah, well.

Mostly Carter, with some guests and an awfully familiar voice inside his head...

* * *

Groaning, a teen sat down and removed his pack and sword. Carter Kane had been kicked out of his house after his mother had died, and he had nowhere to go, except East, where he could try to get a future.

_Or_, suggested a voice at the back of his head. _You could rescue Sadie, like your mom told you._

_Shut up, _he thought angrily. _And mom just said to remember her. Trying to rescue her when she's the Diva kills her earlier, and it makes everyone suffer. Don't you remember two years ago, when Diva Silena died?_

The voice remained silent, although Carter could feel the disappointment at him radiating. He hated it. There was no need to make him feel like an even bigger coward, was there?

Sighing, and trying to exhale all of his negative feelings out, he leaned against the tree and fell asleep

* * *

_A song for the sun, a song for rain…._

Carter knew he was dreaming. But since when did his dreams feature mist and a faraway singing voice? Or, for that matter, himself with a body of a chicken?

_A gentle requiem…_

"Who are you?" he called out, but was only met with the singing voice. Clearly, the singer was female, and the voice soothed him, for some reason.

_At the end of the road to paradise, warm hands were offered…_

Carter started to recognize the voice. He hadn't heard it for a long time, but the last time he had, the incident was engraved into his mind.

_But couldn't reach me…._

He felt a sinking feeling in his stomach. It was the same. Older, and a much better singer than before, but it was definitely his sister, Sadie.

**Sing forever….** An unfamiliar voice commanding her was the last thing Carter heard.

* * *

"Sadie!" he yelped and flailed around for a moment before realizing he was awake. Calming slightly, he stared up at the branches of the tree above him. Was it all his imagination, or was it the truth?

Despite how annoying she had been when they were little, Carter still loved Sadie. He knew what happened to the Divas after they wore out their voices and blistered their feet past the point of healings. So what if it was his imagination? His sister needed help. And she would get it.

Determined by this new wave of courage, he stood and began to pack. First, he would go to the capital to get the information he needed.

Then, he would save his sister, regardless of what happened.

* * *

"Boy, that's crazy." An old lady selling food told him rather affectionately. "But would you like to try a sample of my cheese? No? How about a wiener, then?"

"Aww, go back to yer mother!" spat a sailor.

"Boo hoo, your sister's going to die. Big deal, Cramer Kent. Now, leave me alone." Replied a bartender, rolling his bloodshot purple eyes.

Carter ground his teeth in frustration and left the bar, not bothering to tip the man. Were all of the people in Nome this scared? Those of them that didn't pale and curse him often laughed at his ambitions!

For the first time, Carter was thankful that his mother had raised him in an isolated place after Sadie was taken. It had given him more courage about facing the snake, as he hadn't grown up hearing tales of the Fifth Cohort being crushed easily by the monster. He had learned it, but only as history, nothing more.

He was so deep in thought he almost didn't notice the stranger until he was right in front of him. "Huh?" Carter managed to say as he looked up.

The man was dressed in black clothes for travelling, like him, but unlike Carter, he still had on the robes of desert travels, while Carter was in lighter and cooler wraps. Suspicious. Why would anyone keep the long, stuffy clothes that made one seem like a tent in a hot city-

Of course, they could have just wanted to hide something.

The billowing cloth hid him and any potential weapons the man – no, teen, as he could now see that he was only sixteen – could have, but warm brown eyes smiled down at him, amused. He could see black spiky hair sticking out a bit from under the hood, but that was about it.

"What?" he all but demanded, crabby at his lack of information.

The newcomer merely cocked his head to the side, giving a semblance of a dog. "So," he mused in a light tone. "You're the one going around asking for knowledge on the Chaos Snake?"

Carter eyed him warily. The last time someone had asked him that, he had gotten his pockets picked. Well, he managed to catch the thief and make him return the money he stole, but that had been due to luck and two girls named Drew and Lacy, who had blocked his escape by sheer accident.

Point was, he refused to have another attempt at his money again. "So what if I am?" he demanded.

The black-clad teen smiled lazily, showing slightly fanged teeth. "What a coincidence." He remarked, as if they were discussing their favorite food and not the bane of the large nation. "So am I."

* * *

And, the people Carter asked for information were Stheno, Blackbeard, and Mr. D, respectively. But I'm sure you all knew that. ;)

Review?


	4. New Allies, Stirring of Destinies

I'm back... Although very few people care about this, here's a new chapter for you!

Special thanks to Empty Thoughts, my only reviewer so far. Hope I don't disappoint!

* * *

"My name is Anubis." He introduced himself, and sipped his drink. Sahlab was a specialty here, or so Anubis had said.

Carter and his new acquaintance, Anubis, were at a teashop named _New Orleans_ that played relaxing music in cool shades. Anubis had brought him here, claiming it was the best place for rest in all of New Rome, and Carter admitted (grudgingly) that it wasn't too bad. He wouldn't really have known, as it was one of his first times being in a teashop like this.

"Carter Kane." He inclined his head slightly.

Anubis raised his eyebrows, shock showing a little on his pale face. "Related to the current Diva, Sadie Kane?"

"She's my sister." He replied stiffly. It wasn't something he enjoyed talking about.

"My apologies." Anubis said in a soft voice. "Is that why you're…" he made a vague hand gesture, implying the asking around. Kind of him to not say it outright.

"Yes. You?"

The black-clad boy grinned, apparently happy to show off. "When one is raised by a firm priestess of Isis," he raised his hand, palm up. "One cannot leave a place that requires a helping hand if one believes they have the power to aid." A bluish ball of light winked into existence, dancing in the magician's palm. "That's teaching cracked into even the thickest skulls."

Carter leaned forward, excited. "Can you teach me that?" he asked, eagerness for new knowledge loosening his wariness.

"Maybe." He smiled impishly. "Am I in?"

Carter hesitated for only a fraction of a second as he weighed the pros and cons. Anubis didn't seem like he was lying, and a magician was valuable help. "Yes." Answered Carter.

He nodded, satisfied, and stood, tossing a few coins onto the table. "Good. Now, let's pick someone up from the palace."

"The palace?" asked Carter, confused. Anubis couldn't be one of the rich nobles living in Castle Jupiter, could he? It was hard even getting a place to _rest_ in New Rome. _He_ knew that, and he'd only been in New Rome for two _days._

"Yes. My, ah_, friend_," At the strange way he said the word friend, Carter raised his eyebrows. "Is at the castle, trying to get more information on our foe. I believe he requires our help, as he was supposed to have met me here an hour ago." He mentally frowned at how calm Anubis seemed about this later, but at the moment, he wasn't in full control of his actions.

Carter's hand flew to his _khopesh_ before he could think. Gods damn chivalry, he thought angrily as his mouth started to move on its own. "Then let's go."

* * *

Heart pounding, the blond teen carefully walked with his friend, hidden behind a large mob, trying desperately to seem at ease as he forced a laugh. "Yes, it has been a long time, hasn't it? New Rome's changed a lot." At least Reyna hadn't told them the truth. That made this a little easier.

"You could have written, you know." Scolded his friend Hazel as they walked together like they used to before he had fled. "But _noo_, you had to go to another country, not send us any word, and then come back without any souvenirs! What kind of a friend are you, missing out on my wedding?"

The words stabbed him in his heart. What kind of friend _was_ he? Running away like a coward after finding out a horrible truth, and then sneaking back to use her for information? And not just any friend; Hazel Levesque – no, _Valdez_. He'd forgotten the eighteen-year old was married now. Hazel, who'd always been the older sister figure for him after Thalia had been taken for Diva training. Who took care of him, made sure he got the proper foods, and stayed out of trouble.

Who he was currently shoving into danger by showing himself to.

"I apologized already, so stop it." Jason grumbled playfully. But inside, he was wracking with guilt.

Hazel humph-ed. "Well, did you see Reyna?" she asked. "She had search parties and went out personally with her hounds for days looking for you! She was worried sick!"

_Yeah, worried I might spill the secrets_, he thought bitterly. Aloud, he said, "Yeah, I'll do that. Say, the washrooms haven't been changed while I was gone, were they?"

"No…" Hazel trailed off, thoughtful. "Well, except for the one next to the balcony… They expanded the windows, so everything near them had to go, including the library. They moved it next to the throne room. I'm sure you'll remember _that_ room perfectly well, after all the time you spent in it." She added playfully.

Stuttering and blushing, his mind raced furiously. The library had been moved? Great, Plan A was out of the window.

"I've gotta, you know….." he gestured, trying to look awkward.

Hazel understood immediately, gods bless her. Or at least, she got the words he was trying to convey (lie). "Oh, right! Sorry. But after, you're coming to my house and meeting Leo. He'll love you."

"Yeah, he sounds like quite the guy." Jason started to edge away, still as friendly as he could manage.

"You'll love each other." She promised as Jason moved behind a wall and slid out of sight.

The moment he was alone, he exhaled, releasing all of his frustrations and guilty feelings. Or tried to, anyways. "Sorry, Hazel," he mumbled, fingering his magic coin. "But I may not be able to keep that promise."

With that, he ran to the direction of the throne room, already going over Plan B and every other plan, just in case. Anubis would kill him for being late. Then, he would perform some kind of voodoo magic to bring him back, just so he could blast Jason with magic again.

* * *

On top of the long walls of the castle, a tall woman prowled around on the otherwise-empty lookout. She looked up to the sky, and sighed as the gentle winds that felt like her beloved friend ruffled her short-cut hair. Almost as if Silena was here with her, laughing and trying to make her smile.

Clarisse regretted everything. It was all her fault! If only she had been brave enough, brave like her ancestor, the great Ares had been. Then Silena would be alive and happy.

"Happy birthday, friend." Murmured Clarisse, her normally harsh and loud voice uncharacteristically quiet and almost normal in respect. At least she wasn't bawling her eyes out, like last year.

But she still hurt inside as she mourned her only friend.

There was nothing she wanted more than to kill the beast that had so carelessy ended her friend's life, but she couldn't. She knew what it would mean to the rest of Nome, and that was something Silena had never wanted. That was one of the reasons the foolish Aphrodite girl had volunteered.

Her pretty, foolish friend had only wanted the best for everyone. And now she was dead.

A tear trickled out against her otherwise iron control.

* * *

This story is leaving my hands... But I swear on my mother's future grave that I'll complete it.

Thanks for reading, and reviews are always warmly welcomed.


	5. When the Ares Child changes sides

Frantically, Jason ran his fingers across the spines of the books on the shelf, desperate to find the book with the unique backing, the one he could recognize in his sleep because he had lugged it around so much after his mother had died. Killed herself, actually, not one of those happy deaths where you die of age. Wait, that wasn't the point.

But still, that was the biggest bother he had when he and Thalia had fled with his future brother-in-law. Leaving behind the book that was his mother's treasure?

Sacrilegious. Especially because she had entrusted it to _him._

Jason's train of thoughts stopped abruptly as his fingers felt the familiar crystal and the bold embossing.

Pulling it out of its resting place, he looked upon the dusty book that would aid his quest very well.

Now, he had to get out without being seen by anyone who knew he was a threat to the current hierarchy, like Reyna.

_Especially_ Reyna.

He took a casual hold of the precious object in his left hand, and palmed his coin in his right, ready to flip it at a moment's notice. Silently thanking Anubis for the charm that hid weapons from Terminus, he walked out of the library, and began to pass through the magnificent arching hallways, eager to leave his once-home.

Five hallways left…

Four hallways left…

Three hallways left…

Two-

His thoughts came to a halt. There, right in the middle of the corridor was a familiar face that sent his heart racing with adrenaline as he re-lived his nightmares of the past. Even after five years, she hadn't changed at all.

Purple toga, black hair in a long braid, heavy-lidded eyes that looked impressively bored….

Reyna.

And there was nowhere to hide.

Gulping, he adopted a confident pace, letting his face blank and trying not to let her recognize him.

There was a very slim chance of that, but…

Step, step, step, step…

Just as Jason started to relax as he past her, a hand shot out and grabbed his arm fiercely. His head snapped sideways to meet a lazy smile.

"Why, hello, Jason!" Reyna's voice was pleasant as soldiers marched into the room. "It's been a long time, hasn't it?"

He was caught.

* * *

Carter quietly swore at Anubis with every single insult and bad word he knew – which wasn't that much – as he snuck down the hallway.

**_Flashback_**

_"Got a plan?" The two had just found out that Jason, friend of Anubis and the best informer they had about Castle Jupiter had been caught. Anubis had calmly formed a plan, something that Carter had been amazed at. How he could think straight at a stressful time like this, he didn't know._

_"I'll go and get Jason out." He told Carter as he shed his outer robes, revealing black pants and a ripped shirt. He had two swords strapped to one side, and some amulets hanging off his neck. "You… cause a distraction. Here are two smoke bombs." And the former respect evaporated at the ridiculously simple plan._

_"What?" Carter raised his eyebrows. After all that big talk about needing more people on the insane quest, he was supposed to do a little kid's job? With _smoke bombs_? "I learned from Master Iskander himself before he died! I can take on one pampered girl and a few of her guards!"_

_"Praetor Reyna is no push-over." Warned Anubis as he raised a ball of fire shaped like a proud-looking girl's head. "She doesn't fight anymore, after Jason hurt her wrists a few years ago, but Dame Clarisse – now there's a female dragon." He twitched his fingers, making his fireball morph into a bigger, tougher looking girl with shortly cut hair. "Or draekon." He paused, thoughtful. "I could never tell the difference between the two. Anyways, all you have to do is make some ruckus for five minutes and then get the Hades out of there, got it?"_

_That didn't really reassure Carter Kane of his job's safety. Neither did the next words._

_"Even if you do manage to somehow miraculously beat Dame Clarisse, you have Hylla to worry about." Once again, the magic fire changed shape into the face of a girl that was similar to Reyna, but older looking._

_"Hylla?" Carter had heard about Dame Clarisse, the fierce and noble-blooded warrior, but he had never heard of a Hylla._

_"She's Reyna's sister, and the leader of a group of female assassins called the Amazons. Last time I checked, her kill record was nearing the fifties."_

_Carter cursed. "One day, you will to tell me the things that happen in this place. That's if we – I – survive this stupid plan of yours."_

_Anubis smiled lazily. "Deal."_

**_End of Flashback_**

He turned around a tall, white marble pillar, and nearly stumbled as he skidded to a halt and pushed himself back behind the stone support. Just in that hallway, there were two soldiers holding a blond guy down on the ground with a girl in a purple toga facing her back towards him. The soldiers, luckily, had been focused on the girl, and hadn't noticed him.

Carter sneaked a peek. The boy was struggling and swearing in a far more impressive selection of vocabulary than him, something that made him envious. Why couldn't have his mother taught him to swear like that?

"Oh, shut up." Commanded the girl in a bored tone. The captors took that as a cue to slam their captive's head to the ground. Ouch.

But the guy was definitely tough. He lifted his head and bared his teeth at her in a snarl, reminding Carter of a wolf.

"So after five years, the prodigy Jason Grace, son of Lord Jupiter, comes crawling back to me." Carter couldn't see her face, but he was fairly sure that this was Praetor Reyna, the proud girl leader of Nome.

"Go to Tartarus, Reyna." Spat the teen. The soldier on his right smacked him on the back of the head, the room echoing with the sharp sound of stiff leather against skull.

"Enough." Snapped Reyna. "Take him to his old room, and make sure he doesn't get out, or _else_." She looked down at Jason, and Carter could hear the smile in her voice. "You'll find everything as you left it, in perfect condition. I'm sure we'll catch up on what you missed while you were gone."

A long stream of curses started from Jason's mouth as the soldiers began to drag him once more off into an unknown room. Carter's heart pounded furiously. Anubis didn't know about this, and if he didn't do something now, they might lose this Jason guy permanently.

Making sure the pouch holding his smoke bombs were secure, he let out a battle cry that he hoped was impressive, and ran to her, putting his _khopesh_ against the girl's throat. "Tell them to let him go!" he demanded. The guards paused, unsure what to do.

From the side, he could only catch a glimpse of her lips, curved upwards in a smirk. "No, I don't think so."

Carter had one moment to be confused before a flash of bronze slammed into his khopesh. Surprised at the unexpected assault, he nearly lost his grip, but managed to hold on tight.

"Huh?" He looked up. A large, bulky woman with short hair stood, chin up and a long bronze sword in her hands. Her armour shone brightly, and her eyes were narrowed and focused on him. Dame Clarisse.

"Well?" demanded Praetor Reyna to the guards standing with their mouths open. "Take him to the chamber!"

Both men stiffened into attention, bowed, and began to drag the blond away once more.

The three stood still, two women analyzing the strange, seemingly stupid boy who had the nerve to attack one of the rulers of Nome.

"Should I kill him?" demanded the female warrior, when all three had been standing in silence for a few moments.

"Not quite yet…" mused Reyna, calm as a snake once more. "Let him show his bravery and skills. Let us see whether he is worthy of the title 'man of Rome'."

Carter could see Dame Clarisse's lip curl in disapproval, but she nodded at him as Reyna backed up, giving them plenty of space.

The female knight didn't waste time holding back. She charged him, yelling a guttural battle cry. He managed to deflect it, but was pushed back by her impressive strength.

"Stupid boy." Grunted the knight as their swords clashed. "Do you realize what rescuing the Diva will do?"

"If the snake was killed, no Divas would ever have to suffer." Replied Carter, trying to work on analyzing her technique. Her strategies were more slashing, but much less stabbing than he had expected. At the moment, he really envied those heroes in tales that could fight and taunt their opponents flawlessly. For example, the one that every boy wanted to be; Percy Jackson.

His opponent only snorted. "That's a good one. '_If_ the snake was killed'. Key word, boy; _if_. Do you really think that it hasn't been done?"

"I know that people tried." He snapped angrily. "But I need to rescue my sister!"

Dame Clarisse, who had dealt out blows that were even and brutal, suddenly stumbled.

"Anyone who cared about these girls would risk everything to save them!" Continued Carter, still shouting. "No one should have to be treated like that! No one!"

Carter, with that last shout, forgot about disarming techniques. Her sword flew into the hilt, and twisted, lightening fast, and a booted boot lashed out at his chest. Before he realized what had happened, his sword clattered on the other side of the room as he stared up into the point of the leaf-shaped blade from the floor.

"Pathetic." Reyna rolled her eyes. "Only two minutes, and you hoped to rescue your sister with that kind of mediocre skill?" She flung her hand out in a wide slash as she walked over to the pair. "Kill him."

But Carter stared up at the woman who was gritting her teeth, eyes burning in shame, anger, and sorrow as she saw something that none of them could see. "No." she muttered.

Carter stared up at her in surprise. What?

Evidently, Reyna thought the same. "What?" she raised her eyebrows, still as cool as a cucumber.

"This boy," she snarled quietly. "Is trying to rid our land of the danger and tyrant that we suffered under for so long. I refuse to murder someone that'll kill Apophis. Silena died because of this!" her low voice had risen as she spoke, and at the former Diva's name, it was at a shout.

"You will kill the rebel that is putting our land into danger, and put your personal feelings aside!" ordered Reyna.

"Shut up!" she shouted, and swung her sword at the defenceless girl, meaning to kill.

* * *

Thank you for reading, reviews are ALWAYS welcome.


	6. Let's bet on Carter's Life

SHOULD I add Walt to this story? Hmm...

I honestly don't own anything, so enjoy...

* * *

Jason was miserable. When he had been here last time, he had been trying to get three people out of the country for a new beginning, feeling helpless and scared, wondering if his sister would become the Diva. Now, he was stuck in the tower room where he had lived while being trained, while Anubis and the other boy that had tried to help him were probably being chopped into pieces for Aurum and Argentum.

_Jason, promise me you'll do all you can to get rid of the Chaos Snake_. He had only been eleven, but his mother, a lady who had acted drunk and loose to survive, had made him swear to the River Styx to do what was considered impossible. Then, leaving him a book and a letter, she had gone to the other side of the palace where the roof was over the chariot race, and had jumped off, resulting in a fatal crash of several horses and chariots.

He managed to persuade the music teacher, Apollo, to flee with Thalia and him before his sister could have been chosen as Dragon Diva, but that was as far as his rebellion went. Quite pathetic, really.

The only small stitch of silver lining his mass of dark clouds was that the guards had allowed him to keep his book. Now if only he could escape…

For the next half-hour, he combed the room, searching for a lock-pick or something similar that would release him. Unfortunately, Reyna had thought ahead. She had even left bags of gold coins and jewels, tantalizing because while he knew they would have been a great help if he was free, the valuables couldn't saw through the bars on the windows or the locked room.

Perhaps he should just give up. This wasn't going to be like the stories of the legendary Percy Jackson, where the hero's wise and skilled girlfriend would barge in with the ideal plan and help him save the day. No, Jason couldn't compare. He didn't even _have_ a girlfriend, and Anubis would probably be too busy praying at the random funeral of a stranger to save him.

(The jerk…)

Jason wouldn't normally be this pessimistic, but things were looking really bad right now. Discouraged, he collapsed in the corner like he used to do when he was young, and hung his head.

* * *

The bronze sword Clarisse used had been sharpened enough that while being strong enough to deflect blows from other blades, could slice through a man with little force behind it. It was currently flying through the air, racing to the girl that was to die by the metal.

Or, that had been the plan.

_Clang!_

It was deflected all too easily by a large, heavy scythe. Grimacing, Clarisse faced the other guard of Reyna; Hylla.

An older version of Reyna, Hylla had known that in politics, her sister would be the better choice, and had resigned her position to the younger sibling, and had instead gone with the choice to protect her and back her decisions. Even Clarisse knew she would have a tough time beating her if Hylla chose to use her favorite weapon instead of the scythe.

"Dame Clarisse," addressed Reyna, a slight smile on her face. Clearly, she wasn't too disappointed by the turn of events, as she had never really liked Clarisse. "A disgrace to your family name, you know. Helping rebels against Nome."

"Boy," The eighteen year old woman gritted out, addressing the near-forgotten sole male inhabitant of the hall. "Pick up your stuff." Carter obliged, watching the tense atmosphere. Did the female knight just abandon her ruler to join their side?

"You can't win." Murmured Reyna. "So just make it easy and give up."

"Since when did people of Nome give up?" retorted Clarisse, still in battle position and facing the assassin.

* * *

Coin, flip, catch, sword, flip, catch, coin.

The same thing was done over and over again. The large golden coin would be tossed through the air where it would flip into one of its two weapon forms, and then fall back into his waiting hands, caught easily, only to be thrown once more to change into its smaller form.

Sometimes, it was a lance, but Jason had figured out how to flip the round disk, to make sure that it landed on a certain side.

A time-wasting discovery that was useless, because he couldn't use it in battle. He really couldn't do anything right now.

Flipping the coin and catching the sword, Jason briefly considered running himself through. It seemed fitting that the blade which had saved his life should now save it in another sense by ending it all.

His head jerked up as the lock creaked and protested. Someone was opening the door. But who?

Shoving his sword under his leg, he tried to look like a depressed and moody teenager on the verge of running away from home. He was ready to face Reyna, the guards, Dame Clarisse or anyone else.

But he wasn't prepared for the actual person behind the door.

"Hello, Jason." Anubis smiled down serenely at the blond boy, keys dangling on one slim finger, a trail of knocked-out men visible behind him. "Did you find what you were looking for?"

The blond straightened up, determined to match the unshakeable calm presented by his ally. "Yes, I did." He answered, voice unwavering and casual. "Tell me, do we have another accomplice in our suicide mission?"

Anubis smiled, this time wryly. "You met him?"

"Only a glance, but he seems like a good kid." They began to make their way down the halls, pace urgent despite their tone of voice.

"He's the older brother of Diva Kane." Jason stopped short for a moment at that piece of news, but then continued on.

"Ah." They were getting nearer to the hall where he had been caught, and from the sounds of clashing metals echoing on the marble walls, it wasn't going too well.

"Dame Clarisse and Hylla," commented Jason as they readied their weapons. "He's probably half-dead now."

"I don't know," mused Anubis, grabbing some charms on his neck. "He was taught by Iskander before the guy died."

"Five drachmas that he's bleeding."

"Ten drachmas that he's bruised but not cut."

"Deal." Without even shaking on the bet, the two kicked the doors open and charged recklessly.

* * *

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	7. Psychic Pendants and a Magic Forest

I should study for finals... Nah.

An ability of the Kanes is discovered, and Sadie thinks her brother will be eaten.

* * *

Carter had been teased an awful lot when he was young by Sadie, who had often been the braver of the two. Even to this day, he did not appreciate even the slightest implications of him being a coward, or, even worse, a chicken.

But he had to admit to feeling uncontrollable relief when two armed boys smashed into the room, a destructive whirlwind of black and gold.

"Was that a good enough distraction?" he called, running over to Clarisse's side in case they attacked her, and she was forced to defend from two enemies. "Oh, and Dame Clarisse is on our side, now." He added as an afterthought. Better safe than sorry.

"No 'Dame', just Clarisse," grunted the short-haired girl as she knocked away the scythe once more. Carter shoved and slashed back at the soldiers who had swarmed them, not letting them distract the two fighting female warriors.

"Should the bet be off?" questioned the blond guy, who Carter recognized to be Jason. He must have gotten help from Anubis. "None of us expected her to join us."

Anubis seemed deep in thought as he disarmed the man in front of him, a dagger and a sword in his left and right hand respectively. "Depends," he called at last, scattering the decreasing forces effectively. "Are you hurt, Carter?"

"Only a bruise, but no blood!" the youngest boy took a defensive tone in his voice.

Anubis grinned, and pushed back the last man. "Pay up," he ordered.

Before Jason could complain, Clarisse stepped in. "Can we leave now?" she demanded, impatient. "Hylla and Reyna will be back very soon with even _more_ reinforcements, and you won't be able to get rid of this one that easily."

"The female _draekon_ has a good point," noted Anubis.

"Especially on her sword," grimaced Jason, rubbing a scar of years ago. "Been a long time, Clarisse."

"Hello, Jason," nodded Clarisse as she picked up some dropped daggers and change. "As much as I'd love to chat up with you on everything you missed," – the sarcasm couldn't be missed by any of them – "We need to flee. Tell your friends that."

"No need," Anubis stepped forward as he shuffled back into his robes. Carter sheathed his sword and watched, jaw dropped, as Jason flipped his sword back into a coin. "I agree with your plan, Miss Clarisse, and we really must leave. Shall we?"

Clarisse spat to the side, a glob of thick brown liquid on the white marble. "None of this 'Miss' stuff, you hear me, punk?" she demanded, her voice distinctively threatening.

Anubis smiled, and began to leave the hallway, followed by the other members of the party. "Of course. Welcome, Clarisse."

"None of this mushy 'all for one, one for all' stuff either!" But she smiled on the inside, just a little bit.

* * *

The bloody ugly rotter, as she called Apophis, hissed loudly at her as it retreated back into its evil lair. Sadie didn't inhale, knowing that the smell of his morning breath was, without a doubt, the worst thing she could ever smell.

Coughing from the hard exercise her throat had been put through, Sadie left the cavern. A solid hour of singing and the cavern had echoed with her powerful, and, dare she say it, _beautiful_ voice magnificently. Bloody shame only the snake got to enjoy it.

Soon, though, the snake would slither back from its little nap and demand that she sing and dance for its entertainment. This job was horrible. The pay was little, with only food, lousy boarding and useless white dresses that stained _way _too easily (and had no variety. That was important.), there was hard work, and the client? Don't even get her started.

Busy in her thoughts, she didn't hear the other girl until she spoke.

"Hello, Sadie Kane." The white-dressed girl whirled behind to face the Pythoness, in all her masked and staffed glory.

"Hello, Snake-Girl." Sadie refused to show fear. Not to the bloody snake, and not to the harsh and proud girl.

"Such disrespect, and from one in an honoured position," clucked the princess-girl. "Thou should think thyself shameful."

Sadie rolled her eyes. "Newsflash, lady – No one says 'thou' anymore. It died out with the tradition of selling your daughters."

"Thou art brave, but thou art also ridiculously stupid."

"_I'm_ stupid? This coming from the girl who mixes modern language with ancient talk from the barbarian times!"

The plump, full lips of the Pythoness curled up in disdain at her attitude. Sadie was proud of her spunk, but the next words wiped her smile off.

"Thy brother is coming to join you, and he brings friends." The girl, about the same age as Carter, sneered slightly. "I hope you enjoy being eaten." She turned around and began to glide once more back into the shadows, where the white-clothed figure would be lost to her eyes in this dim light.

All Sadie could manage to yell was, "You said 'you'!"

It was a lame comeback, and she knew it. Letting out a huff, she sank into her skirts, and began to rock back and forth, clutching her amulet as tightly as she could. She knew it was stupid, but whenever she had been scared, her amulet had comforted her.

"Don't come, Carter," she muttered, trying not to let a tear escape her eyes. "I don't want to die. I don't want you to die."

And all she could hope was for the god Aeolus to be in a good mood and carry her voice to that stubborn brother of hers.

* * *

_"...don't want you to die…"_

Carter jerked up, nearly smashing his head into a low hanging branch. Across the campfire, a grouchy murmur came at him. "Kid, sleep, or I'll bash your head in."

"Sorry, Clarisse," he whispered, trying not to wake the others. They had all had a hard day, mostly spent running like all of Hades was after them. Only after they had crossed into a forest did Jason claim them safe, panting something about 'Half-Blood Hill'. Anubis, in pants and huffs, told all of them about the powerful dryads who did not take kindly to those with violent will, and all of their party had stared at Clarisse. Needless to say, she was annoyed.

Still, the boundaries of the forest surrounding Half-Blood Hill could only last for another day's traveling, and they had to leave before the army was assembled and after them. If they stayed in here, it would be simple enough to surround the trees and starve them out.

"Was that you, Sadie?" he whispered as loudly as he dared. "It's okay. I'm coming," he looked around once more, seeing the lumps of shadows darker than the night. "_We're_ coming to save you."

* * *

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	8. Chaos Snake 101

Not much to say, other than the fact that I need to raise the rating to a 'T' because of this chapter. Can anyone guess why?

* * *

_"…coming to save you…"_

With a yelp, Sadie dropped her amulet, although the frayed leather cord only let it into her lap. Gingerly, she slipped it off, and held it in her palm.

"Carter?" she whispered, and would have said more, but a loud roar filled the cave. Apophis was awake.

_Sing!_ It shouted through the hissing mental voice it used when he wished to communicate with her. Sadie wanted to tell the overgrown worm to go jump off a cliff, but she knew better.

Standing up, she opened her mouth and the first of the many notes to come spilled out of her mouth.

Another great performance and the snake didn't give a damn, only slithered back into its miserable little corner.

Too exhausted, Sadie curled up on the floor, not caring about her sore throat and blistered feet, and dreamed of her brother dropping their birthday cake, but somehow magically restoring it.

It was a great dream, but the vision just made reality harder to bear when she woke up groggily.

_'If you are going to rescue me, Carter,'_ she thought, picking herself up off the hard stone floor for another day. '_Then hurry up.'_

* * *

_'…hurry up…'_

"I will, Sadie," Carter mumbled into the tightened fist holding his amulet. "I will."

Someone cleared their throat. The dark-skinned boy looked up, only to see Anubis with a slightly apologetic smile. "Carter, if you don't mind, I would like to hear Jason's explanations on the beast."

"Oh, right," Carter smiled sheepishly. "Sorry."

"Thank you," Jason opened the book to the first page. "My mother gathered all of the known facts about the Chaos Snake and put them together in this book. She managed to not get caught, but she had to pretend to be a loose, wild woman to survive."

"And even then, she jumped off a tower than be caught by the soldiers," muttered Clarisse. She may have not meant for the others to hear, but they all caught her words clearly.

"Yes," Jason nodded. "But instead of burning it, she gave it to me." He changed the topic, beginning to read the book. "'The Chaos Snake, also known as Apophis, was first seen three centuries ago, back in the reign of the mighty Sun King Ra. He managed to destroy several cities until Ra himself led an army to slay the rampaging beast, but was swallowed whole along with thousands of soldiers and civilians before the magicians managed to work out a negotiation.

"The deal was that two maidens would be given to the snake. One would be the Dragon Diva, a girl who would sing and dance to keep the snake amused. That fact is well-known. The other lesser-known girl would be the Pythoness, who would be the messenger of the snake and inform the outside world of the Diva and the Snake's needs. Both girls would be linked magically to the snake, the Pythoness through her mask, and a different method for the Diva.' Mother couldn't find how that one worked."

"Wait, her _mask?"_ Interrupted Carter.

Wordlessly, Jason held up the book, showing a painting on one of the yellowing pages. A regal-looking girl stood with hair braided back, a small silver circlet on her brows, and a long thin white mask hiding her eyes completely. "First made by the Sacred Silver of Lady Artemis, the mask is passed on to the next Pythoness every time. Unlike the Diva, the Pythoness is kept alive until the sheer exhaustion of the effort to contain Apophis wears them down. This is the very first Pythoness, Zoe Nightshade."

"But can't the Pythoness escape?" asked Clarisse. "You said they were the messengers. That means that they should be able to go back and forth. Why do they stay in the stupid cavern all the time?"

Jason flipped a few pages until settling on a close-up painting of only the mask. "The mask bonds the girl to her station. Once you put it on, it's near impossible to take it off until you die, and a spell prevents you from leaving the cave. Memories and habits of past Pythonesses are given along with the mask, so the girl becomes almost unrecognizable. She acts like a total stranger.

"Let's say Clarisse was given the mask. The moment it's forced on her face, it will be stuck to her, acting almost like a second layer of skin. We can't see through the parts where the eye holes should be, but she can. And she will see the world differently, through the eyes of a thousand other dead girls who had worn the mask before her, all of their life pouring and melding into her memories until she loses track of who she was. Soon, all she is isn't Clarisse, best female fighter known; she's just the Pythoness."

Clarisse looked sick, and Carter couldn't blame her. That sounded like a horrible life. For a moment, a pang of pity rang through his body for the poor girl being forced out of her personality by other dead girls.

"Near impossible to remove the mask," muttered Anubis. "So it _is_ possible?"

Jason looked uncomfortable. "There - there was one case where the mask was removed," he finally said, looking at the book, the trees, the sky, anywhere but the eyes of his companions. "Apparently, to keep the status of the Pythoness, or the Diva…. You need to be a maiden."

Dead silence passed. "So how was the mask removed?" Clarisse asked in a surprisingly calm voice.

"A drunk knight… he thought he could take on the snake, but he ran into the girl first, and accidently knocked her out, and..." Jason shuffled uncomfortably. "Can we not talk about this?" he pleaded.

A murmur of agreement passed.

"So we have information on the girls," Anubis brought them back on track, distracting them from the awkward moment. "Now, how about the snake?"

Jason seemed glad about the change in topic. "Right. The snake is supposedly covered in armour that is impossible to pierce. Nothing can cut through its hide while it lives, and apparently, it also has venom, a large appetite, and short temper. Oh," the blond added, squinting at the text. "The last time checked, it was…'Taller than two men, and long enough to wrap around the Pyramid of Khufu thrice.'"

"How are you supposed to kill it, then?" demanded Clarisse, voice back to its normal loud and harsh tone.

"Stab it in the eye?" suggested Anubis. Clarisse glared at him. "Or the mouth."

"And how do you suggest we stab something of that size in the eyes _or_ mouth, smart-ass?"

Anubis shrugged, and smiled. Clarisse looked like she wanted to run him through.

Carter, sensing that a fight could break out, decided to interrupt. "We'll solve that problem when we get there. So, the snake can talk through the Pythoness?"

Jason nodded, and shut the book. "Yes. Mother couldn't find any weaknesses to the snake, other than the fact that it hates light and its love of music."

Clarisse snorted. "So we sing to it, and then stab it in the mouth."

Anubis turned thoughtful, brown eyes considering some factors. Jason seemed scared by this expression. "Oh, no," he muttered. "You can't be thinking about that."

"I am thinking of how to destroy this abomination," Anubis replied in a puzzled voice. "Why may I not think of it?"

"Because all your plans end up with me breaking a bone," the blond boy muttered, but Anubis ignored that.

"What if," he began, rather excitedly. "What if we all rush the snake? While it tries to get one of us, the others all aim for the mouth with poisoned blades. Something so powerful that even the smallest cut could send it to Tartarus."

"But we won't risk only having a small cut, because we'll dump the entire load in, right?" The member of the party that had known Anubis longest still looked doubtful.

"Jason, do you really not trust my plans that much?" Anubis looked hurt at the lack of trust his friend was showing.

"I most definitely do not," deadpanned the blond boy, rubbing the back of his head in reminisce of a past wound from one of his friend's plan.

Laughter rang through the trees as the party of heroes began to pack up their belongings.

* * *

Finals tomorrow... I love you guys. If I die, then at least I'll have posted another chapter.

Review?


	9. Powers Stirring, enter Nico

I survived finals...

* * *

The one thing slightly helpful about having to live near the bloody snake was that you knew more about the thing than most people. That was helpful if you lived with it, but it wouldn't be if she wasn't the Diva, so Sadie wasn't sure if it was a good thing in the end or not. The argument was something she often did in the boredom of this closed-off world, and so far, neither side had won yet.

A small ray of light shone down, something that was quite rare in the cavern where she lived. The lack of sunshine had paled her considerably, her once golden skin now nearing a white shade similar to her dress.

What to sing? She wondered idly, twirling a strand of her hair as she laid her head on the rock where the light shone. As much as she wished to sing about the snake crushing its head in and dying, she knew that would only anger the hideous thing. And the Diva was to sing prayers to the 'Godly Snake that watched over us all', not death wishes.

Even if she was bored by the tranquility.

_It's so peaceful, it's dull; that should be a good thing, but-_

She sat up. Hmm, not bad.

_I don't understand, why are you crying?_

Sadie snuck a look down one of the large, twisty caverns where the snake was curled up. Satisfied at the lack of response, she continued.

_Of different dreams, different races and different values, those two people have now met. Let this thousand-year vow echo to the ends of the earth, the wiegenlied that binds to a fate of destruction-_

"My, aren't we cheerfully morbid today," a dry voice cut through her song. Sadie lifted her head to face the amused girl who was her only human company.

"Why are you here?" Sadie paused as she remembered the last time the girl had talked to her. "You know, other than to tell me that me and my brother-"

"My brother and I," corrected the Pythoness.

"What are you, my mother? Anyways, to tell me that me and my brother," she deliberately did this to annoy her. "Are going to die."

Sadly, the misuse of grammar did nothing to aggravate the Pythoness, who only examined her nails. "Even if your brother hadn't been coming, you would have died early, what with the amount of light you're giving to the snake."

"What is this, a fairy tale where there's light and darkness?" demanded Sadie, irritated at the mentions of her life as an endangered Diva.

The masked girl sneered. "You know nothing of your powers, do you."

The way she said it, a mere state of fact instead of a question, made Sadie want to punch her. But there were more pressing matters at hand. "Powers?"

* * *

_Without a certain destination, I keep on pursuing East, my own shadow is the only company…._

"Great, we have Diva boy singing as well," grumbled Clarisse as she shouldered her bag.

Carter flushed. "Sorry, it's a habit."

Jason frowned. There was something about the way he sang that was strangely familiar. "Sing again please."

"Are you sure?" he asked nervously. "I don't think Clarisse likes my singing."

"I have nothing against singing," retorted Clarisse. "As long as it's good singing."

Jason cleared his throat impatiently. "He sings well, Clarisse. You of all people should know that. Let me listen."

If looks were _draekons_, the glare of hate and pain the female warrior was shooting Jason would have eaten him. Luckily, Carter opened his mouth to sing.

_We're destined to go around further, further without end. Trying to find the fragment of my heart, I keep wandering-!_

A slow clap echoed through the woods, and the four abruptly spun around to face the alien sound, weapons in hand. Jason flipped his coin behind his back, and caught the sword neatly as his eyes scanned the trees for the intruder.

"Easy," a young male voice came, and Jason's eyes widened as he recognized the smirking voice with a sarcastic ring to it.

Apparently, Anubis did too. "Hello, Nico."

* * *

It's a really crappy and short chapter, but Nico makes an appearance, so that makes everything better. In my head, at least. Anyone want to guess why Carter and Sadie are special? Other than the bloodline thing, of course.


	10. Solitary Shadows in Sadie

Carter watched warily with his hand on his sword as a boy who could have been a younger Anubis slunk out from a shadow of a tree. Like, literarily, as the shadows bent and solidified to form a doorway of a sort from which this boy in black casually stepped out of.

If he could, Anubis was definitely teaching him that trick.

Carter would have thought a bit more on just what Anubis was supposed to owe him, but then those thoughts were put to a halt as the Anubis look-alike walked closer.

Anubis acted like he knew him. "Hello, Nico," he greeted the boy in black, while Jason flipped his sword away. Huh, so did Jason.

This 'Nico' ignored the friendly talk. "Are you crazy?" the boy named Nico demanded outright, voice flat. "You're on a quest to kill the Chaos Snake. The _Chaos Snake,_ which is revered as a Guardian God in Nome. Which is also protected by the might of Rome. Did I mention this is the Chaos Snake? As in, it will kill all?"

Carter marvelled at how Nico had said that all in one breath, but then grew suspicious. How did he know about their plans?

"Jason, your cousin is being pessimistic again," remarked Anubis.

"You expected anything else?" Jason barely gave them a glance as he walked back to the bag he had dropped to get better balance in a fight. "Nico, why are you here?"

That dismissive comment earned the blond boy a scowl from said boy, but he opened his mouth to answer – _somewhat_ – cordially. "Lady Hestia sent me to fetch your quest members. She wants to help."

All of them, except Carter, showed various degrees of surprise and, in the case of Anubis, slight happiness. Carter had no idea how to react, not knowing who this woman was. "Um, who's Lady Hestia?" the question earned him incredulous looks, even from Nico, and Carter guessed that at the moment, all these different people were all thinking the same thing; _what is wrong with this kid?_

"Do you know nothing?" questioned Clarisse. "She's the one that sees all, the wandering advisor, and the goddess of the Hearth! Ever since the Oracle went into hiding, she's been the most sought-out person in the world!"

"Who's the Oracle?"

"Kid, if you're being deliberately stupid, I will pound your head in."

Carter shook his head, and Nico sighed. "As amusing as the death threats are," he drawled. "Can we get going? She promised a hot meal if we got there quickly."

"Nico, hot meals do not right every wrong. And what does she want with us?" Jason seemed suspicious, as if he distrusted the black-clothed boy's words.

"Yes they do, and Jason, you have to start trusting me. Besides, that prank was ages ago!"

"No, Nico, they _don't_. And for all we know, you could be leading us into a trap."

Nico opened his mouth, but Carter decided to interrupt. "Can we go? I trust him, somehow."

"I don't," muttered Jason.

"I agree with Carter," Anubis spoke softly, but his voice carried over. "Nico has no reason to aid Rome after his sister, and those who work for Lady Hestia cannot lie while using her name."

Carter was ninety-nine point nine percent sure Jason would have argued had not Clarisse interfered. "We're going, Sparkles, and no more words."

The blond shut his mouth, looking resigned and embarrassed. Carter made a mental note to question 'Sparkles', while Nico beamed and began to gesture, gathering shadows as the shades began to merge into a solid form. "Excellent. Please step through the Shadow Travel Portal, and watch your step. Try to refrain from thinking about anything nasty, and ignore the screaming souls in eternal pain."

Hearing the rather... _odd_ warnings, Carter came to the realization that it _wasn't_ such a good idea to trust anyone that resembled Anubis even a little bit, but by then, it was too late to take back his words of trust about the boy. Gulping in fear, he closed his eyes and stepped into the swirling black anyways.

* * *

"What powers?" questioned Sadie, straightening up. "And don't go disappearing on me again."

The Pythoness raised her eyebrows. "Does thou believe that thou can control me?"

"There you go again with the stupid switch," mumbled Sadie. A bit louder, she snapped back. "No, I believe that you should actually explain if you're going to act all mighty and all-knowing on me."

"Your tongue is sharp, and will one day bring you trouble," promised her second-worst enemy. The first was Snakey and the lack of a proper bed, both tied for that single most hated place in her heart.

"Answer the damn question."

Sadie got the distinct impression she was rolling her eyes. "Tell me, little girl," sneered the Pythoness. "Do you know why only certain girls can be chosen as Divas?"

"Because we're gorgeous," answered Sadie, flipping back a lock of hair.

"Vain child," she spoke softly, but the voice carried across clearly. "Apophis does not _need_ to listen to any songs. He needs music, prayers of hope and happiness sung by the girls who are gifted with a certain special balance in them. Each Diva had had a part of them that were dubbed as Shadows, and another part called Light. Have those fools at the palace taught you nothing?"

Sadie resisted the urge to snort, because that would have been unladylike. "The 'fools at the palace' taught me how to sing. Period."

"Hmph," the Pythoness tossed her head, letting the dark, neatly cut hair brush her cheeks before falling back into perfect alignment. "Useless idiots."

"For once, I agree with you," Sadie crossed her arms and leaned against the hard, rocky walls. The cold nearly made her flinch, but she withheld it from showing. "So what's this business with the 'amount of light' I'm giving to old snake-breath?"

Her only (somewhat) human companion genuinely looked like she pitied her for a brief moment. Then the expression of emotion was replaced by a smooth mask of indifference, just like the actual mask she wore. "You are a Diva, yet the only thing you possess is Shadows. Normally, that alone should be impossible. It is as if someone has taken away your Light. And yet, whenever you sing, it is as if there is both Light _and_ Shadows inside your voice."

Her clipped tone told Sadie that was the end of explanations. It wasn't the ideal lesson, and didn't really make sense to Sadie, as if the Pythoness had talked while trying to show her what was on her tongue. Sadie was pretty sure that a teacher or an instructor was something this girl would have sucked at, had she been allowed to grow up properly. Still, it was the friendliest the Pythoness had been to her. Or, the longest conversation they'd had without one person leaving. "Is that a good thing?" she wondered aloud.

The Pythoness studied her with the eyes covered by that damn mask, face unreadable. "Yes," she finally answered.

Sadie was pretty sure that was a lie. She told the Pythoness exactly so.

The girl in question scowled and rose up, thin layering robes making the smallest whispering sounds as she stood, head held high while she gripped her staff. "But can you survive the truth?"

Something about the way she asked that question made Sadie uneasy. But she wasn't Sadie Kane for nothing. "Try me," she set her jaw mulishly, and knew her blue eyes glinted with rebelliousness.

Shaking her head, the Pythoness left, robes on the skirt part of her entire 'oh-I'm-so-high-and-mighty' outfit swishing.

Childishly, Sadie stuck her tongue out at her retreating figure.

* * *

Right... thanks for reading, review, and please check out my new Percy Jackson and the Olympians Story called "Deadly Sins Rampant: Realm of Sloth".


	11. The Fire Eyed Goddess with Food

Carter fell on the ground head first, and let out a groan of pain. Next to him, Jason let out a few choice words as his back was used as a landing mat for Clarisse, who only grunted. Anubis and Nico, somehow, managed to land on their feet in a perfect landing.

Or what Carter saw as a perfect landing. Nico seemed to think otherwise. "Ha! You stumbled!" Nico crowed triumphantly.

"Did not, di Angelo."

"Did too."

"Did _not_."

Carter ignored the two at this point and began to look around. Another forest, but this one was lighter, the trees were much younger and thinner than the other one, and the path was clear.

Hopefully, that was a good omen. He wished the rest of this trip would be like this, where the destination was visible.

Oh, and _then_ there was….

"Did _too_!

"Did _not_!"

Turning back to the arguing boys, Carter wondered, idly, who would win the verbal fight. They both seemed like they wouldn't back down at all.

Clarisse solved the issue for both of them; she reached over, grabbed their heads, and smashed them together.

Both similar boys stumbled a bit as the only female of the party scowled at them. "Do your job as the guide boy," she ordered Nico, crossing her arms and clenching her fists to make her already-noticeable arms even more muscled. A clear threat. "And take us to Lady Hestia."

Nico rubbed his forehead, and then shook off the remaining effects of that collision. "You guys _do_ know that she's _right_ over there, right?"

Carter bit back a laugh as Clarisse, Jason and Anubis nearly fell over as they all whirled around to see the person he had noticed first.

She was a young woman, dressed in simple black robes, and she was tending the fire carefully, as if it was her own child. In those simple movements of her arm, Carter noticed effortless grace, and somehow, serenity. She was the very portrayal of home itself.

Except for the one minor detail about her eyes being replaced with fire, burning in the sockets like two miniature hearths. _That_ kind of ruined the peaceful scene.

Nico stepped closer and bowed. "My lady Hestia," he murmured, surprisingly calm for someone who had just been arguing about whether Anubis had landed perfectly or not.

"Nico," she nodded, still tending the fire carefully, all of her attention seemingly focused onto the flames. "Just in time for a hot meal, I see."

This time, even Carter flinched as she waved a hand, making dishes laden with all kinds of food appear out of nowhere.

"Eat."

Nico certainly had no problems with it; he dove right in, and piled a plate with a mountain of food. Walking up to the hearth, he dropped in a few pieces, murmuring a prayer, and then dug in.

Seeing the young boy eat like… well, a young boy, Carter felt several pangs of hunger at the sight of the food. All of them smelt like a piece of heaven, and they looked like they were cooked to perfection.

He followed, grabbing a thin plate and taking a few things he recognized from village feasts and his mother's cooking and dropped a piece of fruit into the flames. "Thank you?"

The others did the same, although they gave better prayers than him, and began to eat.

It. Was. _Awesome_.

There was meat, a treat in itself, vegetables that had been too expensive, and about ten types of different bread alone.

"Home-cooked meals," sighed Lady Hestia, stirring her fire. "Nothing quite like it."

Muffled words of agreement arose from around her. Jason stood and grabbed a second plate.

"Eat up," advised Hestia. "You have a dangerous quest ahead of you."

"Mwind terling ur's ar'bourt i'?" Clarisse swallowed her mouthful of food. "Mind telling us about it?"

She smiled slightly. "You already have the resources you need to get there, and the knowledge of what to do."

"Yeah, go to the large cave in the mountains that everyone in the whole country avoids, and kill a huge snake."

"Just try to stay away from villages and civilized places," she warned. "They've spread word that there are troublemakers trying to kill the country – false, of course, but nonetheless, everyone is on the lookout for you."

"Great," Carter muttered. "I always wanted to be the focus of a national manhunt."

Hestia shrugged, reminding him rather disturbingly of Anubis. "If you _do_ kill the snake, then you'll be treated as a hero."

"And if I don't, I die, and end up condemning my sister – my annoying but innocent sister – to death."

There was at least a two meter distance between his seat and where she rested, but Hestia reached out without effort and held his hand comfortingly, just like his mother used to do. "It is your destiny to kill Apophis," she said, her voice soft and warm, like his mother's. He relaxed slightly. "It has always been your destiny to rid the world of the three evils through your lifetimes, and now is the time to finish off the third evil. You can do this."

Those were words his mom would tell him before he went for training sessions. Less on the whole 'you-will-kill-evil', but just as encouraging.

The warm grip vanished from his hand, but the feeling of comfort was still there. "Nico will take you as close to the snake as he can, which is a three-day walking distance from Apophis' cave.

"Do not, under any circumstances, charge him directly. Lady Grace may have been excellent at collecting information, but she failed to get the most crucial; Apophis cannot die if the Pythoness exists, and the Pythoness cannot die until the Diva is out of the mountain."

"So our plan would have to be sneaking past the Pythoness and Apophis, grab Sadie, get out, go back in and kill the Pythoness and Apophis?"

She just kept eye contact with him, the image of the fire burning itself into his brain permanently. "As long as the Pythoness exists, Apophis cannot die," she repeated.

"Okay, then," Carter nodded slowly, trying to look like he got it.

Hestia didn't look fooled, but she broke eye contact first. "Nico?"

"Yes, Lady Hestia?" he stood up immediately.

"Take them as far as you can," she stood, and smiled at all of them softly. "Good luck, heroes."

Carter blinked, and suddenly, the clearing was empty; no dishes, no goddess, not even a trace of fire. Just five youths standing around.

He glanced at Nico, and saw shadows swirling in the darker parts. "Let's go, then."

Carter stepped in through the darkness first, and this time, his walk was more determined, filled with purpose and courage.

_I'm coming, Sadie. _

* * *

Sorry for being late...


	12. Crazy Fugitive Nuts, meet Piper McLean

Howling souls, darkness, occasional patches where it would feel like you were splashed with a bucket of ice water…

Light. A pinhole of brightness at the end of the tunnel, it slowly got bigger and bigger in Carter's vision. The force pulling them through the portal yanked them out through it, and dropped them outside.

This time, the landing from the shadow-travel was a little smoother.

Or so Carter thought. "Clarisse, get _off_ my back!" Jason yelled, his voice a little muffled.

"Sparky, I wouldn't _be_ on your back if you weren't so bad at this thing!" Clarisse snapped back, still a bit disoriented from the shadow portal.

Nico grinned at Anubis. "I still say you stumbled."

Anubis dusted his sleeves, rolling his eyes as he did so. "And I say you need to get your eyesight checked."

Ah, well, he landed decently.

"Everyone good?" Carter couldn't help asking, rubbing in the fact that he was perfectly fine.

They glared at him, and Clarisse helped Jason get to his feet.

"Now," Nico sighed, dusting his jacket of invisible dust motes. "This is the part where I-"

"Jump off a cliff and die?"

Anubis seemed way too hopeful, and Jason was stifling a laugh. Nico glared at them. "No! This is where I take you to my friend!"

"You have friends?" Jason's voice was innocent. Too innocent.

"Watch it, cousin." Nico started to walk down a path, and looked back at them. "Well?"

They followed on the short walk that led to a small stone cabin against a cliff. "Now, don't say anything to her about her clothes."

"Why?" Carter asked, curious as always.

Nico shot him a pained look. "Just don't."

"Thanks for the great answer," he muttered under his breath as Nico went up to the door and knocked.

A girl opened the door, just enough to see her face, and-

_Whoa_.

She was a bit older than him, but super pretty, with tanned skin and eyes that he couldn't quite pin the colour of. Her hair was braided down the side of her head in choppy, uneven braids, and she was smiling, showing off straight white teeth.

"Oh, hey Nico," she opened the door wider. "Come on in, all of you."

Carter followed Nico inside, and further gawked. Inside the cabin, it was huge, about the size of the hall back at the castle, filled with torches shining down on weapons, shelves and supplies to last a century.

"Piper, the crazy fugitive nuts who are trying to kill our very own Chaos Snake by themselves," Nico introduced them. "Crazy fugitive nuts, Piper."

"_Nico_."

"Don't deny it, Jason. You're crazy, you're a fugitive, and you're a nut. The skill called 'maths' should tell you that all of them together equals 'crazy fugitive nut'."

"This is so cool!" Carter wandered around, examining every object he could see. "Magic spark stones, potions, armour…" he stopped abruptly. "Is that a portable forge?"

Piper made her way through the maze of sundries and larger objects. "It's only portable if you have four other people helping you move it, but yeah. It's the latest in the line."

Now that she was closer, Carter saw her clothes. Ragged overall-like trousers cut short at mid-thigh, a white dress shirt, and Greek-style sandals, with a thick coat tied around her waist.

Definitely not a normal attire, but he kept his mouth shut, like he was instructed to do.

Jason also wandered over, more interested in the weapons mixed in the cluster of random objects. "How did you even get these? I've never seen half the things in here."

She smiled again. "I know people," Piper said mysteriously. "But more importantly, I inherited this place from an old, retiring sorceress who happened to be a seer and an excellent potioneer."

"That's not even a word."

"I make my own words. So sue me."

"Stop your flirting, please," Interrupted Nico, holding a tattered cloak out in front of him. "Is this a robe of tortured souls?"

Piper snatched it away. Carter could almost see the tormented faces within the fabric, moaning and screaming. "Not ready for sale yet."

Carter and Jason gingerly stepped away from the robe as Nico made a face. "Shame," he sighed. "I really wanted one."

"Why, I will never understand," Piper rolled her eyes. "Now, how may I help you?"

Nico finally tore his longing eyes away from the soul-robe. "We need to fit the crazy nuts with supplies that'll help them live long enough to get to Apophis, and something that might be strong enough to kill the snake."

Carter gave Piper credit; she didn't pale or scream or faint like anyone else would have. Instead, all she did was straighten her strange clothes. "You've definitely come to the right place, then."

* * *

The large cavern, carved out naturally by the elements over time, was almost empty of life, save one girl who sat in the corner, coughing into her hands.

The harsh, hacking sounds got gradually louder and violent, until a slight splattering sound ended the fit. A slight gasp echoed in the stone halls.

Sadie stared with dull, almost unseeing eyes at her palm. Her pale skin was covered with red, sticky, rust-smelling liquid that had come from her mouth, and her throat was pounding with dull pain.

This was it. The first sign. Soon, her sore, aching feet would be covered with hideous, painful blisters that would burst and infect on the dirty ground while she had to dance, and that would lead to her being immobile, unable to fulfil her Diva Duties.

And then, she'd be lunch. Or dinner, or breakfast, depending on the time her stamina gave out.

Taking a deep breath and ignoring the flaring pain brought on by that new air, Sadie wiped off the blood on her skirts and swallowed painfully.

That snake wasn't going to be the death of her, even if he started to thrash around like a stepped on worm.

Her blood-free hand grabbed her pendant. "Carter," she growled into the cold silver. "Get your butt over here. _Now_."


	13. Poisons, Potions, and a Magic Golden Bag

_Carter, get your butt over here. Now._

Yelping in surprise at the sudden clarity of Sadie's voice, Carter tripped over his own feet, which resulted in him falling and knocking over the nearest thing. Which, of course, with his luck, just had to be the ugly, expensive looking vase that smashed into a million pieces upon impact.

Luckily, Piper was a nice person. She was there in an instant, helping him to his feet. He let himself be led away from the shattered pieces. "I'm so sorry," he apologized.

She shrugged. "Don't be. That was a gift from the last owner. I think she still hates me."

He decided to not ask.

"Anyways, here's the elder python venom – careful with that!" Piper yanked the vial away from a curious Jason, who had been trying to unplug it. "Even the fumes of that thing can kill you. Or, it'll leave you in a permanent coma."

Jason gingerly put his hands in his pockets.

"So the elder python venom," Piper put the clay vial on a table. "That might kill your chaos snake, but just in case…"

Rummaging in a counter, Piper managed to produce several brightly coloured potions. All of them were in glass vials, and some of the flasks were shaped like toy bears, or swans.

"If Medea put these in the right place, then these _should_ be the most powerful poisons known to mankind," Piper told them, wiping the dust off a bottle with blue liquid contained within. "This one kills rather painfully, or so I hear. Medea always told me that she wanted to put this in my food."

"Did she?"

"I don't know," Piper shrugged. "I never ate anything around her."

Her old boss sounded like a charmer.

"So that's the poison settled," Anubis was examining a gravestone with rather morbid interest, but he seemed to have enough sense to put them back on track. "But would our weapons do much damage on Apophis?"

"Probably not."

Clarisse made a sound of annoyance.

"From what Nico told me, Apophis can't be killed unless the Pythoness doesn't exist anymore, correct?"

"And we can't kill the Pythoness until the Diva – Sadie – is out of the mountain."

"Do you _have_ to kill the Pythoness?" Piper asked, leaning back on a table. "Can't you just, I don't know, un-Pythoness-fy her or something?"

The party, minus Nico, winced. "No, not really."

"Why?"

"You do _not_ want to know," Jason muttered, looking pointedly away from the pretty girl.

"Try me." Piper's eyes were burning with stubbornness.

"You'll regret it…" Jason sighed, but leaned in to whisper something into her ears. Piper jerked back when he was done, repulsiveness in her eyes.

"Gross!"

"Told you."

"Okay, so that's out of the question, then," Piper shuddered. "So you get your sister out of the mountain first… maybe travel roses? No, I only have two…."

"What are travel roses?"

Nico answered, while Piper tried to come up with ideas. "They're these plants that'll transport you to a place you visualize when you crush them."

"Can we have that?" Carter asked. "We could just give one of them to Sadie, get her out, do something about the Pythoness, and then get rid of Apophis."

"That…could work," Nico nodded slowly. "Piper?"

"As long as you guys are okay with the fact that she'll be outside of the mountain… on her own… while the earth probably shaking because of the snake writhing around fighting you… when there might or might not be dangerous wild animals around..."

"On second thought, maybe one of us should leave with her."

A second of silence…

"Dibs on not going with her!"

"Same!"

"Ditto!"

Anubis, who had unfortunately been distracted with a golden jackal statue, had failed to join them. "Now that's dirty pool."

"Not their fault you're a slower than a hippo."

"You seem to have forgotten the time when you went around telling people just how much impact a dragon had based on your card game."

Piper looked at the others. "Never knew Nico was so friendly with other people."

"Friendly? Yeah, that's pretty friendly," Jason was eyeing the two dark-clothed males, who had somehow ended up wrestling. "That, though, that's definitely Nico."

Laughing, Piper put the vials of the various poisons into small pockets on a golden satchel. "Here," she said, handing the metallic-cloth bag to Carter. "It's magic, so it can fit everything in, and make sure nothing gets broken when it's in there."

"Really?" Into the main section of the bag, Carter shoved everything he had. It all went in, even some of the objects larger than the entrance of the satchel. "That's so cool!"

"Midas?" Jason asked Piper while Clarisse tired of watching the two fight.

Piper nodded. "Golden touch. He used to be friends with Medea."

"Break up the fighting!" Clarisse roared, and smashed their heads together again.

Piper winced while Jason and Carter snickered. "Is this how you've been travelling the entire time?"

Carter thought back to when this all started. "Just about."

"I'm surprised they can still think properly."

"You call that thinking properly?"

* * *

All of their possessions in one golden satchel, the questing party plus Nico set off. "Try to not get yourself killed!" Piper called, waving from her shop door.

"I know I should be happy that a knock-out of a girl is wishing me luck," Jason said wryly when they were out of hearing range. "Yet I can't help but think that there's something rather depressing about that good-bye."

Nico raised an eyebrow. "I thought you liked Reyna?"

Carter thought that they'd stop, Jason would go crazy, and their quest delayed by a few days. Instead, Jason just kept walking, ignoring the waiting eyes of everyone else. "She changed when Octavian took her in," was all he said.

"Hard not to when he gets his grip in you," Clarisse told him in a loud whisper. Carter appreciated her filling him in… yet couldn't she have been quieter? For Jason's sake? "He was one of the people in our generation that pushed for Apophis."

"'Was'?" Carter asked, despite him wanting Jason to not hear them gossiping about his past. "What happened to him?"

Clarisse straightened her sword. "He got assassinated."


	14. Turning Points

Life was odd.

She barely remembered lush forests, crystal streams, wildflowers, or happy endings, but those were all she sang about nowadays. She knew hardship, she knew stress and pain and blood and fear, but those never made their way into her songs, the woven prayers to the false demonic god that was really a snake with anger problems.

And Sadie was so tired. Her body was becoming numb, to the point where her dances involved missteps and stumbles on a regular basis, her songs occasionally hitching and missing notes. Apophis noticed, but he watched and listened anyways. Maybe he was considering all the different ways he could eat her, or how to slowly and painfully kill her.

He certainly seemed sadistic enough.

Her cold, numb fingers found their way to her pendant. "Carter?" she asked, curled up in a niche, trying to get warm and failing. "I'm so tired. Are you coming?"

* * *

A chill went down his spine. "Assassinated?"

"Yeah. Killed right before he went up to 'divine the will of the gods'," Clarisse cracked her neck, clearly annoyed. "More like sprout bullshit and try to gain more power."

He did not sound like a nice guy, this Octavian. Normally, Carter tried to think good of the dead, but no one seemed to have a high opinion of him. "So who killed him?"

"No one knows," Anubis interrupted. "From the looks of it, he was in a duel. Had a knife and a spear in his hands, and some armour. Traditionally, duels should have been done in public, or at least with more than ten witnesses, but he was alone. That made everyone call it an assassination."

Jason walked just a bit more stiffly.

"There were rumours," Nico explained, looking at his cousin with a sorry look. "That it was Jason who was the one who killed Octavian. Spread by lying, double-crossing idiots."

It must have been hard for him. His mother suffered a lot from gossip before she moved, and that had been a small village. How much harm, he wondered, could the gossip of an entire castle, a city hurt?

"He'll be fine," Anubis told Carter. "He's strong."

Carter rubbed his arm, and touched his sword for reassurance. Could _he_ be that strong?

He'd have to, if he even wanted to hope to save Sadie.

Intent on his determination, Carter didn't realize that Nico had walked into an invisible barrier of some sort, and marched straight into the boy's back. "Hey!"

"Huh? Oh, sorry."

"So this is about as far as I can go," Nico punched the barrier, making slight ripples in the air. Carter tried passing a hand through the area, and found that he could get through without any resistance. Huh. "Try to not get killed."

"Can't make any promises," Jason had on a perfect Poker Face, but his voice was dry. "You know just how much I love suicides."

Nico gave his cousin a look. "I mean it, Jason. Don't make me have to tell your sister that you went and got yourself killed on a quest. You know she'll skin me alive for not bringing back her 'baby brother'."

"Why can't you people just admit that you care for each other?" Anubis asked from a very safe distance. "Really, this denial is quite an issue."

"Shut up, you funeral freak," both unlike cousins snapped at the same time.

"Denial isn't just the sacred river. . . ."

Clarisse did her snorting laugh, and adjusted her pack straps. "Let's get going, then."

Jason grudgingly shook Nico's hand, and began to walk away without a backwards glance.

Nico nodded to Carter. "Good luck with your sister."

"Thanks," he tried to smile. "You have luck with. . . whatever you're doing."

"No, I think you need it more, between the limited time, the snake, and the army after you."

* * *

It may have just been the dying thing. . . but she was cold.

"No, the temperature is actually dropping. Winter will be harsh this year."

Sadie tried to blink, but there was only darkness. Great, she was hallucinating. About the stupid Pythoness.

"Me? I think the better question would be 'Art _thou_ stupid'," the voice demanded. Why did she have to suffer that annoying girl while she was dying?

"Thy death isn't here yet," she snapped. "And thou can't see anything because thou eyelids are still shut tight!"

Oh. That explained it. She reached up with fingers – cold and stiffed, Sadie realized – and pried open her eyelids. Gods, they were the heaviest things she'd ever experienced.

But she wouldn't give up, not till she was dead.

"Just open thy eyes."

A few minutes later, her eyelids were flexible and warmed, and she had her sight back. Unfortunately, it really was the white-dressed Pythoness in the flesh and mask.

"What're you doing here?" Sadie asked, yawning. "And where's Apophis?"

"He's out hunting," the other girl leaned on her staff. "It shall be winter soon, and he needs to stock up."

"Did you seriously wake me up when he wasn't here? Do you know how much sleep I get?!"

"No."

"Well, it's not a lot! Which means that I'm cranky!"

"Thou crank has nothing to do with me."

"Argh," Sadie refrained from swearing – a deckhand had taught her a few before being caught and executed on the spot – but she ran a frustrated hand through her hair. "Whatever. I'm going back to sleep. Don't you dare wake me."

A slim eyebrow raised high in incredulous surprise. "Does thou think thou can order me around?"

"No, but _I_ think that _you_ are going to find _yourself_ in _serious_ pain if you _do_ wake me up!" Sadie wrapped a black shawl of hers around herself as best as she could. "Good-bye!"

And then she closed her eyes and slept, dreaming of the time when she had poured honey on her brother's hair while he was taking a nap.

* * *

The Pythoness turned away from the girl, and walked out of the cavern. "You don't have much longer, you know," she sighed, and limped into her own cold stone quarters. "And I'll be alone again. . . ."

* * *

Dear lord, Synchronicity Part Three: Requiem of the Spinning World is finally out! Hopefully, that means I can update faster.

Totally makes up for my terrible mood about the Korean Elections.

Posted: 19/12/2012


	15. Jason's Horrible Story

No matter how important the end goal was, mindless walking was boring. Eventually they began to talk, opening up to the near-strangers all of them had gotten much closer to over the course of a few days. Clarisse told boastful tales about beating a hundred men in a row in a swordsmen's tournament, Anubis shared traditions of folks he had met while travelling and Carter recalled with fondness the experiences of learning under the great master Iskander.

When he finished telling his memories, all three of them turned without a word to Jason. It took him some time, but eventually the blond boy snapped to attention. "What? Oh, um, nice story. Always thought it was a shame I never got to meet Master Iskander."

"That's great. Now it's your turn. Tell us a good story." A good thing about her was that one never had to expect any roundabout political double talks. She was as straightforward and blunt as a hammer swung at full force.

Of course, one of the bad things about Clarisse was her lack of subtlety, but Carter supposed no one was perfect.

Jason sighed, playing with his coin. He didn't flip it into the air to change into weapon form, but he did run in across his knuckles and in between his fingers. "My sister's pregnant?" he offered.

"That's not a story, that's a fact."

"I'm not a good storyteller."

"Not an acceptable excuse to use."

"Look, can't I just keep my life private?"

Carter nodded and decided to back off. The others seemed to make the same decision . . . until Anubis opened his mouth. "I hear there was this one time Jason set the kitchen on fire."

The blond boy cringed, his shoulders nearly covering his ears. "Who blabbed?"

"Who do you think?" Anubis raised an eyebrow.

"Nico," Jason grimaced.

"Correct. Now tell us an interesting story or the kitchen fire story goes public – along with all your _other_ childhood embarrassing stories."

Carter looked at Anubis. Here was a new side of him – the threatening side.

Or maybe it wasn't a new side – after all, he did keep his general playful personality.

Jason was clearly trying to choose between the lesser of two evils as he carefully stepped over the fallen tree that made a bridge over the fast-moving stream. "Careful, it's slippery," he warned the rest of them as he made his way across. "A story, huh . . . how about the time I beat Clarisse in sword-fighting?"

The only female member of their quest party whipped her head towards him, ready to verbally assault him when she slipped on the tree. Managing to give a violent yell and one violent curse, she fell into the water.

The 'stream' was only waist deep, and yet as Carter and Anubis helped pull her out of the water and back onto the log bridge – they nearly slipped off while helping her – they noticed that the water was unusually icy. Already the completely soaked Clarisse was turning slightly blue and her teeth were chattering uncontrollably.

Without another word they made a campfire and turned around so she could change into dry clothes. She was bigger than all of them, so she had to wear Jason's while her own garments dried.

Teeth still chattering, Clarisse had to go into the sleeping bag that Anubis had filled with stones warmed by the fire.

Their emergency first aid had worked. Sort of. Clarisse didn't die, but she was sneezing by the time her skin had stopped looking so blue.

Anubis put a hand over her forehead. "Feels warm," he noted.

"That's because your hands are like corpse fingers," she retorted, but there wasn't much of her usual bite in them.

The black-haired boy ordered them to keep an eye on her before slipping off to gather some sort of herb that would make her feel better.

"Is there anything we can do?" Carter asked, fidgeting slightly. While he knew that Clarisse was a valuable member of their party, he also knew that the longer they stayed in one area there would be a higher chance of Reyna's army catching up to them. Being captured would mean that his sister would be lost to him forever.

"Yeah, kid, you can wipe my sword and make sure there's nothing wrong with it," she croaked. "And you," she pointed to Jason with a calloused finger. "can finish that story of yours."

"But I didn't even start it."

"Then start it."

"I'm back!"

No one paid attention to Anubis. He didn't comment on it, but only took a seat on the other side of the fire and began grinding up the herbs.

Jason looked into the fire for a long time, and just as Clarisse was about to say something again he opened his mouth. "After Reyna succeeded Octavian," he began. "I didn't have anything to do with my life. Before he was assassinated I thought that I could have a chance at saving her from him, but then when she took over I knew that she was gone.

"My sister and her husband were both worried about me, so they took me to a woman named Lupa. In the country we fled to, she was as famous as Iskander was here. She told me that I had to be a strong pup and snap out of it or the wolves would eat me."

"The what?"

"Wolves. That's what she called any troubles that would come across someone in the world. She liked them because she said they were brave, loyal animals who knew how to survive in the harsh world."

"Jackals are better," Anubis muttered, still crushing his herbs.

Jason ignored him. "So she trained me after I snapped out of it. She taught me how to fight and gave me my coin because I didn't have a proper weapon and pulled me out of depression. She's the one who sent me back here to make a difference, to continue my mother's work."

They waited, but he didn't continue. "That's it?" Clarisse demanded from her sickbed.

"Yes."

"You were right," she decided, struggling to pull herself up. "You do suck at telling stories."

But Carter noticed that Jason looked considerably happier after telling that story.


End file.
